This blog is dedicated to sharing the concept that our hands are essential to learning- that we engage the world and its wonders, sensing and creating primarily through the agency of our hands. We abandon our children to education in boredom and intellectual escapism by failing to engage their hands in learning and making.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

today in the wood shop

I am working on the small cabinets from the DVD so they can be safely finished and put out of the way until they are either sold or exhibited at the Historic Arkansas Museum in 2012. I have been troubled by outfeed roller markings on the wood passed through my Grizzly planer, and a call to technical support informed me that I needed to make adjustments that had not been made at the factory. Now will some messing around, I am getting a better finish with less sanding, and I should be more satisfied with the product now that it is working better.

In the CSS woodshop today, Les Brandt is teaching an ESSA class on wood turning as shown at left.

Philadelphia charter schools are suffering from financial mismanagement and fraud. Which reminds me that schools are complicated, and that people often have objectives in mind other than just the education of our children. Charter school boards are often set up using the friends of the founder as board members, and they tend to take a hands-off approach to school governance, when hands-on is required.

I received a gift in the mail this last week from a wood worker-machinist at the Kansas City Woodworker's Guild, which you can see in the photo at left. It is a set of adjustable box maker's clamps, having a range of up to 24 inches. It is finely crafted by John Van Goethem, who began as a machinist/tool maker in 1960 and has been self employed since 1975. He says, "I was fortunate to have a high school experience that fostered my interest and provided opportunities." If you would like to order a set, you can contact John at jvangoethem@everestkc.net

I have been thinking about part two of my book Wisdom of the Hands, which will deal in greater depth with education. What better thing is there to do when we fully understand the fullest implications of our hand-mind partnership than to take on the future, through making life better and more meaningful for our children.

About Me

I have been a self-employed woodworker in Eureka Springs, Arkansas since 1976. I live with my wife Jean on a wooded hillside overlooking our beautiful historic community.
In addition to work in my wood shop, I teach children at the Clear Spring School in a program called "The Wisdom of the Hands." My 10th and 11th books, Tiny Boxes by Taunton Press and Making Classic Toys that Teach were published in November 2016. I also write for Fine Woodworking and other woodworking magazines.
My resume can be downloaded at
www.dougstowe.com/resume.doc